By: Spencer Neff
April 13, 2025

2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Results

After starting on the pole, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood led 46 of 90 laps, including the last 26, en route to victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Kirkwood scores his third career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory and first since Nashville in 2023. All three of his victories have been on temporary street circuits.

He is the 11th INDYCAR driver to win multiple times at Long Beach. Kirkwood also scored victory from the pole in 2023 on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn California track, both of which being the first of his career.

Kirkwood held off Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou by 2.6859 seconds and becomes the 11th driver to win multiple times at the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit.

Matching his finish from the previous race at Thermal, Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was the best Chevrolet entry behind the pair of Hondas. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist and Team Penske’s Will Power finished out the Top Five for the day.

In points, the drivers who finished the race 1-2-3-4 are all among the top four. Palou leads by 34 points over Kirkwood, 46 over Lundgaard and 54 ahead of Rosenqvist.

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Sting Ray Robb matched his career-best finish in ninth while Kyffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing earned his first Top 10 finish. Simpson also recorded the best lap of the race on Lap 32 (1m08.4755-103.465 mph).

Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing rebounded from wall contact in qualifying to finish 11th. His improvement of 16 positions from his start was best in the field.

Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was the best rookie in the field, finishing 16th.

The race among the 27-car field was run without a caution flag and featured nine lead changes among six drivers. At 100.395 mph, it is the second-fastest INDYCAR race at Long Beach (2016), which featured 10 fewer laps than today.

Race Recap

The race, which celebrated its 50th anniversary across three motorsports disciplines (Formula 5000, Formula 1 and INDYCAR), featured a front row lockout by Andretti Global, with Kirkwood and 2021 race winner Colton Herta leading the field.

While Kirkwood held the lead during the early portion of the race, teams further back in the field made use of some varying tire strategies. Newgarden would pit at the end of Lap 2 for a set of primary Firestone tires.

On Lap 7, Kirkwood gave up the lead to Armstrong to pit for the newer, harder compound. On Lap 8, Lundgaard would inherit the lead. After being one of just six drivers to start on the primary tires, Lundgaard would lead until Lap 27 when he pitted. The CGR duo of Dixon and Simpson would be the last to pit on Lap 28.

Kirkwood regained the lead on Lap 29 after the opening sequence of pit stops before making his second pit stop of the afternoon on Lap 35. Lundgaard would follow onto pit road at Lap 41. Stretching the lifespan of their Firestone tires, Sting Ray Robb of Juncos Hollinger Racing and rookie Robert Shwartzman of PREMA Racing would pace the field past halfway.

Shwartzman would lead his first career INDYCAR laps after Robb pitted on Lap 53. The rookie gave PREMA Racing their first laps led in the series. Kirkwood would get the lead back on Lap 65.

From there, he would hang on for the victory.

Up Next

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next week (April 23-24) for the annual Open Test ahead of the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (More info when available).

Following that, the series will be back in action at Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.

Opening practice is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on May 2. Second practice is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET and qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET on May 3. The final warmup will be at 10:00 a.m. ET on May 4 and the 90-lap race will be at 1:30 p.m. The race will be broadcast on FOX with first practice on FS2. All other weekend sessions for the series will be on FS1.

Stay with IndyCar1909.com for all the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR